The Director General State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, in Cross River state Elder James Anam has described trending reports on social media accusing political stakeholders from Calabar Municipality of diverting bags of rice approved by the state government for distribution across the various political wards in the metropolitan city as misleading and malicious.
Speaking in a telephone interview with The Beagle News, Elder Anam disclosed that the sixty bags of rice approved by the state government are still in the custody of the Agency pending distribution to stakeholders within the weekend for onward movement to targeted beneficiaries across the nook and crannies of the state.
According to him," Our amiable governor, Senator Bassey Otu graciously approved the release of sixty bags of rice per ward across our 18 Local Government areas. The gesture is meant to assist our people celebrate the yuletide in the modest possible way given current economic realities which government at federal and state levels are working assiduously to address."
"We just concluded modalities for the distribution this night so we can commence a hitch-free delivery schedule starting tomorrow. Every ward is entitled to sixty bags, not thirty as falsely stated misleading report."
He continued"So you can see that the fabricated falsehood in circulation is a product of pathological liars out to mislead our people with the sole aim of defeating the noble intention of our people-oriented administration."
In his reaction, Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government Affairs Chief Felix Idem said the insinuation alleging that elected government officials and appointees from Calabar Municipality have diverted 300 bags of rice meant for their constituents lack merit and any iota of truth.
In his words," the disgruntled elements behind such bundle of lies knowns the consequences of spreading false information targeted to malign others thereby causing disaffection. That is why they carefully refused to sign the write-up. We challenge them to own up. We will take them on it.
He revealed that" as we speak, we are putting our heads together with a view undertaking personal sacrifices to compliment the efforts of Governor Otu to enliven the Christmas season for our people.
By Ekanem Asuquo, The Beagle News
